HomeGalera BlogBrazilian Football NewsMeet the Young Brazilian Star Endrick Felipe

Meet the Young Brazilian Star Endrick Felipe

Who is Endrick?

Endrick Felipe is a 15 year old striker; he plays for the Palmeiras under 20 team and has received a lot of international attention for his ability. Scouts from Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Southampton, Ajax and Benfica are all following the player and tracking his development.

Born in 2006 in Brasilia, Endrick started playing football at the age of four. He came from a poor background, his father was unemployed and unable to provide for his family. His youth career began when his father put videos of his son's goals on YouTube, in the hope that he could find a football club to play at. He was approached by Palmeiras, after rivals Sao Paulo could not reach a deal.

The football coordinator of Palmeiras, Joao Paulo Sampaio, had seen the video footage of Endrick playing in Brasilia and he made an offer to the youngster that included a new apartment where the family could live. Palmeiras did not have to wait long before they caught moments of his brilliance. In the first leg against Santos in the under 11 state championship final, Endrick scored a bicycle kick. In the second leg he scored the winning goal in front of 22,000 home fans.

Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior

It was in Brazil's premier youth competition, the Copa São Paulo, where Endrick found international fame. Up until the quarter finals, where Palmeiras played against Oeste, Endrick had scored 4 goals in the under 21 tournament, matching Neymar's record as a 15 year old. In the following game, he produced some Brazilian football magic.

In the 13th minute, the ball was being cleared out of the box by one of the Oeste players, when suddenly it dropped behind Endrick. The young player ran up and hit the ball with a bicycle kick from outside of the box, and it flew through the air and dipped perfectly to hit the back of the net.

Following the goal, Gary Lineker was quick to label Enrick as a “very special talent” and news reports suddenly started comparing Endrick with Brazilian strikers Ronaldo and Romario, and other legends. Endrick went on to score once more in the 4-0 final against Santos, and he was named the most valuable player of the Copa Sao Paulo.

What is Endrick’s future?

Frederico Pena, the chief executive of TFM is Endrick's advisor, his agency also advises other Brazilian stars such as Vinícius Júnior and Gabriel Martinelli. When he was approached for comment about Endrick’s future and his abilities, he talked about the importance of dedication and compared Endrick to Vinícius Júnior and Gabriel Martinelli.

He also mentioned how difficult it can be for young players to travel and play in a foreign country. Both Vinicius Jr and Martinelli struggled to get into the starting team, but for Vinicius the hard work has finally been rewarded. Now Vinicius is playing regularly for Real Madrid, and he plays for the Brazilian national team as well.

For Endrick to join his fellow Brazilians he will have to work hard but there is no denying that he definitely has the natural talent and understanding of the game to become one of the world's best players. He has featured in some Spanish newspapers and has been linked to both Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Despite this, the fact remains that he is 15 years old and will not be able to play senior football or sign any professional contract until he turns 16 in July. FIFA rules also state that Endrick will not be able to play in Europe until he is 18, which means that he will not be able to play for any of the giant European football teams until 2024.

The big clubs may have to offer him a contract two years in advance if they want to get their hands on the hottest Brazilian prospect.